Joseph Anthony Sicilian

Joseph Anthony Sicilian sadly left this earth to join his heavenly family on June 19, 2021. Joseph was born on December 20, 1947 in Bronx, New York and was the eldest of 3. He is survived by the love of his life, Delores L. Roach; son, Dustin DeMakas (Jessica), and daughter, Jenna Teodoro; grandchildren, Nikolas DeMakas, Brianna McPhail, and Angelo, Gabriella, and Nicholas Teodoro; siblings, Karen Malachowsky and Robert Sicilian (Joan); brothers-in-law, Chris Cottrell and Jim Roach; as well as many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph & Jean Sicilian, and his daughter, Jeanine Sicilian McPhail.

Joseph graduated from Holy Cross High School, Queens, New York in 1965. He then completed his degree at St. John’s University. After College, Joe proudly served his country by enlisting in the U.S. Marines in 1968. In 1970, he was given the rank of Sergeant and served for a total of 6 years until he was honorably discharged in 1974. It was in the Marines where Joe received training in Computer Science for system operations and programming. 

Joseph loved sports (Yankees and NY Giants) and was involved in many sports in his early years. He played basketball, football, baseball, and track at Holy Cross. A friend and football teammate recalled Joe as, “A multi-talented teammate on the ‘64 team.” Especially his “Never-fail support and guidance.” Actions such as these reverberated across Joe’s life with his constant guidance and support for those around him. 

Retirement didn’t slow Joseph down. He knew the importance of helping others around him, mixed with his love and loyalty for his fellow Marines; he gave to those who were affected by hardships. Joseph, throughout his later years, was a tireless advocate giving support through volunteer work, helping homeless veterans, and event benefits at the state and local levels. He held the title of Sr. Vice Commandant and Web Sergeant of the Marine Corps League, Veteran Coach for Veterans Connect at the local library, and was a member of the Veterans Employment Committee and Disabled Veterans of America. He was involved with “Backpacks for Life” that supported homeless and at-risk veterans reintegrating into civilian life, as well as the annual benefit, “Toys for Tots.”

We will all miss his smile, easy going disposition and great sense of humor. We will always carry our love for him. He will be with us in our hearts and in spirit. 

Please join us for services Wednesday, July 7th at 10:00 am at Franklin & Downs Funeral Home 1050 McHenry Ave, in Modesto. A remembrance and celebration of life will follow from 11:30 to 1:30 at the Stanislaus County Veterans Center, 3500 Coffee Rd, in Modesto.

We appreciate your kind words, and prayers during this time. More importantly, we hope to see many of you in attendance as we celebrate and remember Joseph’s amazing life. 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.